Poor Bono. First the tail of his private jet comes off as it lands in Berlin and then days later he comes a cropper while cycling through New York’s Central Park.
If he believes that whole bad-things-happen-in-threes thing then he’s sure to be looking over his shoulder today although he’d want to be careful not to walk into a tree if he is.
While the thought of Bono squeezed into lycra on a Sunday afternoon cycle may well be amusing - and/or terrifying - the singer deserves sympathy as he nurses a serious arm injury which needed surgery and forced the cancellation of a week-long stint for U2 as Jimmy Fallon’s Late Show house band.
But he should be able to take some comfort from the fact that he's not alone. The last decade has seen the rise of the MAMIL -Middle-aged Men in Lycra - and cycling has now taken over from golf as the most common pursuit among middle-aged men in many countries including Ireland.
While it is undoubtedly a far better activity - admittedly with an even more dubious sense of style - the risk of injury is ever-present.
Many parts of the developed world have reported a spike in MAMILs showing up in A&Es with injuries sustained in bike falls in recent years.
One survey published in Australia earlier this year found that the number of serious injury claims being made by 40 and 50-something men had jumped by 300 per cent in just 10 years with that cohort now needing more treatment for bike falls than any other group.
The injuries are being fuelled by its popularity which has reached remarkable peaks over the last five years and the market for bike sales in Ireland and Britain will grow by more than 20 per cent to € 1 billion by 2016 and will climb to over €2 billion when the sometimes unfortunate accessories, footwear and clothing are added to the mix.
While the risk of injury is higher - than, say, watching the telly on hanging out on a putting green - the benefits far outweigh any risks, according to Dr Ciaran Cosgrave of the Santry Sports Clinic. "People are much more aware of their health and trying to be active for longer," he said.
While 20 years ago people in middle age might have been told to just give up certain activities, medical advances have meant the emphasis is now on doing more for longer. “If there was a tablet that had the medical benefits of exercise then everyone would be on it because it can treat and offset so many conditions. But like all tablets it has side effects and one of those is injury,” Dr Cosgrave concluded.
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